In Dreams
by shootingsilverstarlight
Summary: He hasn't dreamed of him in years, now he cant stop. Why is Rodney dreaming of the father that once beat him into a coma? JohnRodney Slash. Rated for violence.
1. The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

Authors Notes: This fic is rated R because of issues of child physical abuse and neglect that will appear more in later chapters. If that upsets you then please, don't read on.

xoxo xoxo xoxo

"_I am Teyla Emmagen, daughter of Tagan. I am the leader of my people."_

"_Not yet, you're not!" Meyles pounced from behind, knocking the eight year old girl to the ground. They landed in a pile, laughing. "And you never will be if you let people sneak up on you like that," he told her. She grinned up at him. Meyles had been her best friend since they were infants. Their parents were close friends, and she and Meyles had grown up together as brother and sister._

"_I am just practicing for when I am older," she told him as he pulled her to her feet. "I will be the best leader our people could ever ask for."_

"_Better than your father?" Meyles asked, a cheeky grin on his face._

"_No one is better than my father," Teyla told him._

"_Why thank you, my daughter," Tagan said as he came up behind them. Teyla blushed when she saw him._

"_Father, I did not see you there."_

"_I am sorry to startle you, but your mother has prepared dinner for you and Meyles," Tagan told her. He was a tall, strong man with a good heart and a quick mind. He adored his only child, and the feeling was mutual. Teyla idolized her father and followed him whenever she could._

_The two children smiled and started towards Teyla's home. Tagan fell into step beside his daughter, and placed a hand on her shoulder._

"_You will be wonderful leader Teyla," he told her. "You are strong, your heart is brave and your mind is sharp. I have every faith in you, my daughter and am certain that you will do wonderful things in your life."_

"_Thank you father," Teyla whispered, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back, just as fiercely._

_In that moment, Teyla felt as loved and cherished as any child could ever be._

In her quarters in Atlantis, Teyla smiled in her sleep, and surrendered to the dream.

xoxo xoxo xoxo

_Aiden sat at the kitchen table, doing his math homework. The house was filled with wonderful smells and his Grandma hummed and sang softly as she bustled around him, setting the table and making the dinner. Aiden smiled and kicked his legs in rhythm with his Grandma's song. It was an old song from the fifties, and one that she always sang so he knew it well._

_Mary Ford looked up when the door opened and Aiden's Grandpa Frank came in from work._

"_Evenin' darlin'," he said, stopping to kiss his wife on the cheek._

"_Hello Frank. How was work?" she asked as she continued to bustle around the kitchen._

"_Same old, same old," he replied. He smiled at Aiden who was concentrating hard on a problem._

"_I have something for you," he told him. Aiden looked up, confused. _

"_You do? Why? It's not my birthday."_

"_Do I need a reason to treat my favourite grandson?" Frank asked, smiling. Aiden grinned happily as he opened up the bag from the local sports shop. "I saw this when I was on my lunch break, and I wanted to get it for you," his grandfather told him._

"_You're going to spoil him you know," Mary scolded gently from the kitchen. Neither of them took her scolding seriously, because they were both aware that she spoiled Aiden as much as Frank did whenever he came to visit, perhaps even more so._

"_Nah, my grandson is to good natured to be spoiled completely, aren't you?" Frank asked Aiden, as the boy put on the brand new baseball cap._

_Aiden smiled at his grandfather._

"_Yes Sir!"_

"_Listen to that. 'Yes Sir'. I swear, our boy is going to end up a General some day," Mary said, the pride evident in her voice._

"_Well, whatever you do, we're proud of you. You know that, don't you?" Frank asked Aiden._

"_Of course I do Grandpa," Aiden said, hugging his grandfather._

"_We love you," Mary said, joining the hug._

"_I love you guys too."_

Aiden shifted in his sleep, a smile playing over his lips as he dreamt on.

xoxo xoxo xoxo

"_Lizzie! Lizzie! Come on! Last one to the lake is a rotten egg!"_

_Twelve year old Elizabeth ran to catch up with her fifteen year old cousins as they raced towards the wooden jetty. Their families were renting a cabin in Wanakena, a few hundred miles from New York City. They were surrounded by miles and miles of woodland, and beautiful lakes and beaches, and Elizabeth and her two cousins were having the time of their lives._

_She stopped at the edge of the jetty, and nervously looked down into the water. She wasn't the best of swimmers, and wasn't very confident in the water. The water below her looked deep and Elizabeth felt shards of panic spear through her._

"_Come on Lizzie, jump!" her cousin Bella called. Bella and her twin brother Mathew were both in the lake, treading water about ten feet out from the jetty. _

"_I'm nervous," Elizabeth finally admitted as she backed away from the edge. Mathew and Bella swam towards her._

"_Don't worry Lizzie," Mathew called. "We're right here. We'll catch you. We promise."_

_Elizabeth looked from her cousins, to the water, and back to her cousins again. She trusted them. They were her family. If they said they'd catch her, then they would._

"_Ok, here I go," Lizzie told them. She backed away a few paces, then closed her eyes and ran for the edge. She sailed through the air, landing with a large splash. She felt herself go under, and for a moment, she panicked when she couldn't reach the bottom. Then, two pairs of hands grabbed a hold of her arms, and pulled her back up to the surface. She broke through, and took a deep breath. Bella and Mathew were right there beside her, holding her up and smiling broadly._

"_You did it Lizzie!" Bella exclaimed._

"_We're proud of you," Mathew added._

"_I only jumped in. It's not a big deal," Elizabeth told them, blushing at their praise._

"_It was a big deal to you," Mathew reminded her. "It took a lot of courage for you to do that, didn't it?"_

_Elizabeth nodded. "I'm not at my best in the water," she told them._

"_Well, we'll just have to remedy that, wont we?" Bella said, grinning. "Are you up for a few lessons?" _

"_You don't have to try to teach me," Elizabeth told them. "We're supposed to be having fun."_

"_This is fun for us," Mathew assured her. "You ready?" _

_Elizabeth smiled, and spent the next hour learning how to swim properly._

Elizabeth rolled over in her sleep, lost in the memory of the good old days.

xoxo xoxo xoxo

_Rodney stared up at his father, waiting for the next blow to fall. It came, and was harder than he had expected. He stumbled against the wall, his ears ringing from the force of the strike. _

_Rodney could see his mother on the floor by the window, cradling his younger sister, and screaming on the top of her lungs_

"_Stop it Malcolm! You'll kill him!"_

_The only reply she got was a grunted "Good."_

_Rodney stood shakily again, facing the tyrant that was his father. Malcolm towered above his sixteen year old son, his face dark with rage._

"_You dare stand up to me? To back-talk ME?" he roared. He balled up his fist, and punched Rodney in the ribs, causing the boy to double over in pain._

"_You're worthless, you know that? For all you abilities, your 'intelligence', you still can't defend yourself. You're no son of mine!"_

"_I wish!" Rodney yelled, finding strength where he had none before. "I wish I wasn't your son!"_

_It turned out to be a mistake. Malcolm McKay seemed to grow five inches taller as he stared down at his horrified son. _

_Had he really just said that to his father? Rodney couldn't believe he had. He was going to be in serious trouble._

_Malcolm was inarticulate with rage. The boy dare…, he dared to yell at him? Imply he wasn't good enough to be his father?_

_Rodney was still doubled over from the blow he was sure had cracked a few ribs. Malcolm grabbed his shoulders and slammed his knee into Rodney's gut. Rodney gasped in pain, and was certain that this time, his father had broken something. Malcolm hauled his son up, and slammed him against the wall._

_Rodney's head snapped back, and crashed into the wall with tremendous force. Everything got fuzzy as his legs collapsed and he slid into a sitting position, unknowingly leaving a blood trail down the wall as he faded in and out of consciousness._

_The last thing he remembered before darkness overtook him was his mother and sister's heart-wrenching screams and his father's grunt of satisfaction._

Rodney bolted upright in his bed, a silent scream on his lips. He was drenched in sweat, and his heart was racing. For a second, he looked around wildly, trying to find where his father was hidden. His heart rate slowed and his breathing even out as he took in his surroundings.

He was safe in his and John's quarters in Atlantis. That bastard was a billion miles away on Earth; billions of miles away from the person he had many times beaten into unconsciousness. Rodney glanced over at his sleeping husband, checking to see if he was awake. John was sprawled out on his stomach, snoring softly, dead to the world.

Rodney winced at his own thoughts.

Dead to the world.

He had almost been dead to the world after that attack. His father had broken two of his ribs; one of which had almost punctured his lung. He had fractured his skull when his father slammed him against the wall, and it had taken Rodney several days to wake up from the coma he had been in.

God, why was he thinking of that? He hadn't thought, never mind dreamt, about his father in so long, ever since his mother had been told that her son was in a coma and had finally gotten the courage to get a restraining order and a divorce. He hadn't seen the man in twenty years, and didn't even know if he was alive or dead. So why was he dreaming of this now? And for the third night running?

John shifted sleepily, and looked at him through drowsy eyes.

"Rodney? Everything ok?" he asked his silent husband. He placed a soothing hand on Rodney's back, and felt the tense muscles under the skin. He blinked to clear his head and shifted into a sitting position.

"Rodney?" he asked again, shaking his husband slightly. Rodney blinked and seemed to come out of a trance.

"John?" he asked, confused. "I thought you were asleep."

"Well, I was. But I missed that lovely pocket of warmth that is usually trying to burrow its way into my side," John joked. He expected Rodney to come back with some snappy remark, but Rodney just blinked slowly, and said "Oh. Sorry."

"Ok, what's the matter?" John asked again. "I'm getting worried now. You just passed up a chance to get bitchy at me, and that's not like you."

"I'm sorry John," Rodney said, lying back down. "I just had a nightmare."

"About the Wraith?" John guessed.

"Yes… the Wraith."

Rodney was lying, John could tell. He knew his husband too well. John knew that Rodney had a fucked up past, and that he never, ever spoke about anything that happened before he was eighteen. Still, he wasn't going to push it. If and when Rodney was ready to talk, he would be there.

"Try and get back to sleep," John told him, curling into his husbands back and placing a protective arm around his waist. "We still have a few hours before we have to get up and play host to the Thesarians." He yawned widely. "I'm going to try and go back to my dream. It was my tenth birthday, and there was cake... lots of cake," he told Rodney.

His husband smiled automatically, and John frowned. Something was defiantly up. They had only been married for three months, but they had been best friends for two years before they had even gotten together, and another year before they had married. He knew the man beside him better than anybody, and was very worried that he wasn't his usual snarky self.

John eventually fell asleep, his breathing evening out in the darkness. Rodney curled into John's warmth, but he didn't sleep.

He spent the night and early morning staring at the sky through the window of their home.

xoxo xoxo xoxo

More to come soon. Review and I will love you forever!


	2. New Friends

Authors Notes: I started writing this months ago before I knew anything about season two. So, even though they've been in Atlantis for a few years, they still aren't in contact with Earth, and Ford is there. He and Teyla are a couple, as are Elizabeth and Carson.

xoxoxo

They met Aiden and Teyla in the mess hall for breakfast, as usual. The couple were already there when John and Rodney arrived, and had snagged them their usual table. Rodney was being his usual testy self that morning, but John noticed the bags under his husband's eyes, and was pretty sure that Rodney had gotten no sleep after the dream he'd had.

Aiden was chattering away about a mission they had been on recently, when the Thesarians arrived in the mess hall. Elizabeth was with them, being a good diplomat (and good hostess in his opinion. Though John would never actually tell her that using those words. He'd prefer to live, thank you very much)

The Thesarians were the second species of honest-to-God aliens that they had come across. After the Wraith, they were the first non-humans that the Atlantis crew had encountered in Pegasus. They looked fairly human, except their skin had a slight blue-ish tinge that made John refer to them (often) as their little blue friends. Along with the skin colour, the main difference was that they were a race of telepaths. That being so, they had heard John's comment, but had sensed that he was a good man, and had thankfully taken no offence.

Personally, John liked them. They were kind, and courteous, and for the first time he felt like a race they had met weren't lying to them. AG-1 had made contact with them the month before when they had arrived on a Thesarian research outpost. Since then, a relationship had been building up between the two peoples, and an exchange had been arranged.

A team of scientists and cultural anthropologists from Atlantis were spending the week on their home world of Thesaria and a team of Thesarian scientists were staying on Atlantis for the week. Elizabeth was in regular contact with their people, and so far, things had been going brilliantly. They were being treated with courtesy, respect and friendliness.

And best of all, no one had tried to kill them, capture them or harm them in any way. Elizabeth was of the opinion that maybe, just maybe, they would form a working alliance against the Wraith.

John had been assigned the task of tour guide while Rodney had been asked to work with one of their leading physicists, Dr. Mendesa. He had bitched and moaned, naturally, but Rodney actually found himself liking the fellow scientist. He was a fascinating man. Mendesa was an expert not only in physics, but in their equivalent of child psychology and medicine. Rodney had marveled at the varying fields of expertise, but Mendesa had jokingly reminded him that with a life span of 300 years, they had to do something interesting with their time.

At first Rodney had been wary of the scientist. He had been worried that Mendesa would constantly read his mind, but he had been assured that there was no worse crime on Thesaria than reading another person's thoughts without their express knowledge and permission. Despite his normal lack of patience for all things cultural, Rodney had asked question after question about Mendesa and his people, and the two had become friends.

Therefore, it was no surprise when Rodney left their table to talk to Dr. Mendesa when he entered the room. John was no expert on the Thesarians, but it looked to him that the good doctor was in the last few years of his three-hundred year life span. His steps were slow, and deliberate, and his figure was slightly hunched over; probably from spending years leaning over a lab table.

The rest of AG-1 watched as Rodney conversed excitedly with the alien scientist, and as they left fifteen minutes later.

"You know, if I was an insecure man, I'd be worried about those two," John remarked as he watched the retreating pair.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Radek couldn't help the smile of amusement that flitted across his features as he watched the two scientists examine a newly-found Ancient device. Rodney and Dr. Mendesa were talking animatedly and gesturing widely with their hands as they poked and prodded the machine (with the utmost care, of course.) They were like two kids with a new toy, and their enthusiasm was infectious.

The smile turned into a frown though when he saw the two of them, at the exact same moment, slump down in tiredness. They both held onto the edge of the table and sank down onto their stools in unison.

"Rodney? Dr. Mendesa?" Radek was truly concerned now. Rodney's face was grey with fatigue and was a mirror image of Mendesa's worn features. Granted, it was late, but not late enough to warrant such tiredness. He had seen Rodney go for hours longer without needing sleep or taking a rest.

"I… I feel so tired…" Rodney whispered, his voice quiet and frail. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"I'll get Doctor Beckett," Radek told him, but Mendesa interrupted him.

"There is no need. I know what is wrong," he told them, as he struggled to stay upright. "The fault is mine, unfortunately. I'm nearing the end of my lifespan, and as so often happens amongst my people, my control of my mental abilities is slipping. My emotions and feelings are leaking though; being projected out and others are picking up on it. Since coming here, I have become closest to you, Dr. McKay-Sheppard, and so you feel this more than others. I am sorry."

"If you are dying, then why come to Atlantis?" Rodney asked tiredly.

"It was my last wish as head of the Physic Directorate to come here. It is the chance of a life time, to study the city of the Atlantians. I did not think that I would loose control so completely. I am sorry."

"It's alright," Rodney slurred a little with tiredness. "I understand your fascination with this place. I don't hold you responsible" And he honestly didn't. If he was on his deathbed, and had an opportunity to do something like explore Atlantis, the he would be first in line, even if he had to carry around an I.V.

"Perhaps you should return to your world, Dr. Mendesa?" Radek suggested.

"My home is many miles away from the Stargate and would take time to travel to. It would be best if I rested here for the night, and then left in the morning. Dr. Zelenka, could you please contact my aide, Venered?"

"Certainly," Radek told him, walking over to the comm. system and contacting Elizabeth. While he was at it, he contacted John so he could bring Rodney home. He arrived with Elizabeth and some of the Thesarians a few minutes later.

Worry was etched into his features, and he hurried over to his husband. John wrapped his arms around Rodney, who burrowed into his embrace and leaned against his chest.

"Rodney, you ok babe?"

"Don't call me Babe in public," Rodney snarked, completely ruining the effect by yawning widely.

"He's ok," John assured the rest of the room, running fingers through his Rodney's hair in a relaxing motion.

Sonider, the leader if the visiting scientists and diplomats stepped towards Dr. Mendesa.

"Mendesa, my old friend, is your control slipping?"

Mendesa nodded affirmative. "I am sorry," he said. "I though I could keep control for the week I was here."

"It's alright," Rodney assured him, just as he brightening visibly. He looked confused. "What just happened? I don't feel so tired any more?" he sat up, and away from John and looked enquiringly at the Thesarians. Mendesa looked even more tired than before, but now, Rodney felt fine.

"I have regained some control of my mental abilities," Dr. Mendesa told him. "And the presence of my people has dampened the effects. Again, I apologise."

"It's alright," Rodney told him again. "Maybe you should rest now though."

"I will take him to his quarters, and tomorrow, I will accompany him to a hospital on our home world," Venered volunteered, placing a supportive hand on the shoulder of his friend and mentor.

Sonider nodded his agreement. "Very well. I am sorry this is happening, my friend," he told Mendesa.

"As am I," Mendesa smiled weakly.

"Is there anything we can do at all?" Elizabeth asked. "Our medical facilities are at your full disposal."

"Thank you for your generous offer, Dr. Beckett," Sonider told her, "but there is nothing that can be done. Dr. Mendesa needs to be amongst our own kind. We have all been trained from childhood to block the effects of this mental degradation. It happens to most Thesarians, when their time comes."

"I will retire now, and tomorrow return home. Goodnight and goodbye."

Venered supported the old man as he walked stiffly back to his rooms for the night. Elizabeth and the Thesarians followed him.

"How do you feel now Rodney?" John asked.

"I feel fine," Rodney replied, sounding surprised. "Hungry, but fine other than that."

"That's my boy," John grinned. Rodney just rolled his eyes.

"I'm just going to finish up here with Radek. I'll meet you in the Mess Hall in half an hour?"

"Sure, and Radek? I'm counting on you to get him there. You know how he gets when he starts playing with one of his toys."

Radek smirked at the couple, who still fought like they hated each other, even though it was common knowledge that they would die for each other. Almost had a couple of times, in fact.

"Yes Colonel," he assured him. Rodney rolled his eyes again, and went back to work, though at a much more subdued pace.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

John groaned at the frantic beeping of his alarm clock, and reached over to turn it off. His sleep dazed mind couldn't help his hand locate the off button but it did allow him to pick up the clock and hurl it against the wall. John grunted in satisfaction at the loud crashing sound and the pathetic half beeps that faded quickly. He'd get Rodney to fix it again later. He squinted against the early morning light, and reached over to poke Rodney awake.

"Babe, come on. It's time to wake up."

Rodney didn't move a muscle. He was sprawled on his back, breathing deeply.

"Rodney," John said, getting irritated. "Come on, wake up!" He nudged him again, but again got no response.

"Rodney?" John questioned, fear creeping into his voice. Rodney wasn't usually this hard to wake up. In fact, he was sometimes up and about before the alarm went off. John shook his husband, trying to wake him, but nothing happened. He tried shouting Rodney's name, poking him several times, tickling him, even wetting a cloth and wringing it over his face.

Rodney's face twisted momentarily as if he was in pain, and then smoothed out in sleep again. His eyes flickered as if he was dreaming, but his breathing didn't change, and he didn't wake up. John was frantic now as he scrambled over to the comm. unit.

"Sheppard-McKay to the infirmary!"

"What is it Colonel?" Carson's stressed voice answered after a moment. "We are having a bit of a crisis here."

"Well so am I!" John shouted. "Rodney won't wake up! He's not moving! You've gotta help me!"

Carson swore under his breath.

"Alright, I'll get down there A.S.A.P. Don't panic."

"Don't panic? Oh course I'm going to panic! How the fuck else do you think I'm going to react?" John shouted before turning off the comm. and hurrying back to Rodney's side.

Carson burst in a few minutes later with a medical team. He immediately started repeating everything John had done. He called his friends name as he checked his pupils, tapped his arm as he checked Rodney's blood pressure.

"Alright, we need to get him to the infirmary," Carson said. "Mike," he ordered one of the nurses, "Call ahead and tell them to clear all non-essential personnel out. It's going to be too crowed in there with everyone there."

John pulled on a pair of pants and a tee-shirt. He tried to take hold of Rodney's hand, but Carson ushered him back.

"John, please stand back."

"I can't just stand here and do nothing!" John shouted, pointing at the disappearing stretcher. "That's my husband on that gurney. How would you feel if it were Elizabeth there?"

"I'd feel as you do," Carson told him honestly. "But we need you to stay back John. Let us work. One of the Thesarians is ill, and is stuck in the infirmary. He can't be moved and they are trying to tend to him there. It's very crowded, so please John, don't get in the way."

With that, he turned and sprinted down the hall. John followed him but hung back a little when he arrived at the infirmary. Part of the reason for that was that the infirmary really was already pretty crowded.

Elizabeth was there, along with Sonider and Venered, the latter of which was wringing his hands, his face a picture of despair. Several Thesarians were buzzing around a bed, working on someone who was lying there. Rodney was in the other end of the infirmary, and it looked to John as if the movements of Carson and his staff were slow and sluggish.

"John?" Elizabeth approached him, laying a supportive hand on John's arm. She saw how distraught the man was.

"He won't wake up Elizabeth," John whispered. His voice cracked with worry when he spoke, and Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him to comfort him. "I couldn't wake him up." She held him as John shook, tears falling down his face. He was powerless to help Rodney and that scared him more than anything. He could do nothing but wait, and it was killing him. They stayed that way for a long time. Aiden and Teyla arrived shortly after John, but didn't disturb him. They spoke quietly to one of the nurses, who told them that they would have to speak to Doctor Beckett.

John straightened up when Carson came over. Past him, he saw that Rodney was attached to heart monitors and other pieces of equipment.

"What's wrong with him Carson?" he asked, not liking the worry that had settled over the doctor's features.

"John," he began, trying to get the Colonel to sit down. John refused to move though. He crossed his arms and glared at the Scotsman.

"Carson, just tell me!" he urged.

Carson sighed. There were times when he hated being a doctor; times like this when he had to deliver bad news, especially to a friend.

"John, Rodney is in a coma."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Dun dun dun!

You know the drill. Read and review please.


	3. Diagnosis

And you're getting another chapter now. Aren't you lucky? Honestly, I have this and another chapter written and posted elsewhere. But I lowered the rating so I could post it here. Thank you to everybody who reviewed and read this. You guys rock.

xoxoxoxo

"Coma? What do you mean coma?" John whispered.

"It's very unusual," Carson told him. "According to his brain scans, it's as if he is experiencing dreams. The brain scans show patterns that are very similar to the patterns exhibited during R.E.M. sleep. However, there are other signs, and all I can tell you is that, for the moment, Rodney is in a coma."

His voice was expressionless, but they could see the wealth of emotion in his eyes. After all, Carson had known Rodney for years and the scientist was his best friend.

John sank down onto one of the chairs, his face in his hands.

"OhGodOhGodOhGodOhGodOhGod," he just kept repeating over and over again. The rest of Rodney's team looked at each other in shock.

"How can that be?" Teyla whispered. "He is uninjured."

"Aye, we couldn't find a scratch on him," Carson agreed.

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted. They turned to see Sonider standing behind them, looking apologetic and concerned. "I think I can help you."

John looked at him warily. What was going on?

"Dr. Mendesa, our physicist, is dying," he told the group. "He was going to return to our home world this morning, but last night…" he got no further. John had jumped up and now had his hand wrapped around the alien's throat and had him pinned against the wall.

"What did he do?" he snarled. "What did he do to my husband?'

"John! Calm down!" Elizabeth shouted, pulling at John's arm. "Let him go Colonel! That's an order! This isn't going to help Rodney."

Teyla and Aiden stepped forward and pulled him off the Thesarian. Sonider gasped and drew in huge gulps of air. Elizabeth rushed forward to help him, but he waved her off.

"I am alright," he assured her.

"I am so sorry for the Colonel's actions. I…"

"It is understandable," he told her. "But perhaps in the future, you could restrain yourself Colonel Sheppard-McKay."

"Just tell me what Mendesa did to Rodney," John growled.

"It was unintentional, I assure you. Last night, Dr. Mendesa slipped into a coma in his sleep. If you remember yesterday, Dr. McKay-Sheppard felt Mendesa's emotions and tiredness. The same thing has happened again, I'm afraid. Because Dr. McKay-Sheppard is a close to Mendesa, like last night, his mind linked with Mendesa's and he slipped into a coma also. It is hard to explain…"

"How come none of your people are in comas?" John asked, still glaring at the alien. "What is this? Some sort of attack?"

"No!" Sonider assured him. "Remember, last night I told you that we are all trained at childhood to block the telepathic energy that is often projected when we are dying. Your people do not have that ability. That is why you feel so tired when you are working on the Doctor," he told Carson. "You are feeling the effects of the telepathic energy that Mendesa is projecting now that his mental control is slipping."

"Just tell me the bottom line," John said, standing close to Sonider and staring him straight in the eye. "What is going to happen to Rodney? When will he wake up?"

Sonider sighed. "Colonel, you don't understand. Their minds are linked. There is a reason for it. It is not random. Unless Dr. McKay-Sheppard can break that bond, and wake up on his own, he will die with Mendesa."

John had to sit down before he fell down. His head swam and his vision blurred. No, he has to be wrong. Rodney can't die. He was as healthy as any of them! Alright, he had higher stress levels and a higher caffeine intake, but that was it!

Elizabeth sat beside him, and placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"What can we do to help?" she asked Sonider, taking control of the situation. John just wasn't up to it right now.

"There is nothing you can do, I'm afraid. Dr. Mendesa is too ill to be moved, but even if we could, I don't think distance would break this bond. It is one of the strongest that I have ever seen."

"Why Rodney?" John whispered.

"I do not know," Sonider told him kindly. "They became good friends during our time here, but even this does not explain the depth of the bond. Unless…"

"Unless what?" John asked.

"Tell me, what did you dream of last night?" Sonider asked him.

"What did I dream of?" John asked, anger in his voice. "Rodney is in there in a coma and you're asking me what I dreamed about? What the fuck is the matter with you?" he yelled.

"Colonel," Elizabeth reprimanded him sharply.

"Please, just tell me your dream if you remember it Colonel," Sonider asked.

John was angry at Sonider for wasting time, but tried to remember his dream anyway. It had been a good one, that he knew, but he just couldn't remember the details. So much had happened since he woke up, but barely two hours had past. Finally, he remembered.

"I was fishing with my dad," he explained. "He was home on leave, and he took me up to our cabin on the lake; just the two of us. I was about nine. I always remember it as one of the best weeks of my life. That was before I developed a personality of my own, of course, and started clashing with him on everything."

"Hmm," Sonider said. He turned to Elizabeth. "Tell me please, Doctor Beckett, what did you dream of last night?" Elizabeth cast him a wary look, but told him.

"It was when I twelve and was spending the summer with my cousins."

"Is that a happy memory for you?" he asked her.

"Of course it was," she told him. "We were very close. Still are, in fact."

"So, you dreamed of when you were a kid too?" John asked.

"I dreamt of the time when I was thirteen and my parents brought us to New York on holiday," Aiden spoke up.

"And I dreamt of the time I spent with my father when I was just a child," Teyla told him.

"I had a dream about my dad and the time we spent together before he died," Carson told them.

"I'm sensing a pattern here," John said.

"Were all these dreams memories of events that actually took place?" Sonider asked them. They all nodded.

"Hmm, I think I may know what is wrong. Colonel Sheppard-McKay, you know the Doctor better than anyone. What was his childhood like?"

"Rodney never talks about it," John said, a sinking feeling settling in his gut. "I got the impression that it wasn't the easiest of times for him."

"I thought so. I do not know if you are aware, but Dr. Mendesa's area of expertise is not only physics. He is also a doctor and a leading psychologist amongst our people. His specialty is child psychology."

"And you think Rodney's past has something to do with his coma?" John guessed.

"I do. We all have moments in our lives that define us, and who we are. Unfortunately for some of us, these events are not positive ones. Perhaps the events that defined Dr. McKay-Sheppard's life are such. If Dr. Mendesa were awake, he would be trying to help him work through this experience. Perhaps his subconscious is reaching out to the pain in the Doctor's past, and is trying to help him."

"So, you think that they are in Rodney's memories? The ones that he won't even talk to me about?" John asked.

"I am almost certain of it," Sonider told him.

"Do you think their dreams are linked?" Elizabeth asked him.

"It is possible, but I do not know for certain."

"So, through no fault of his own, Rodney's crappy past is what is keeping him in a coma," John growled.

"It is through no fault of Dr. Mendesa's either," Sonider told him mildly. "He is in a coma, but he is inherently a good person and always tries to help people if he can. His subconscious mind is reaching out and trying to help someone in pain."

"So, Rodney has to work through this if he is to wake up?"

"Yes," Sonider told him.

"How the hell is he supposed to do that?" John yelled. "By reliving it? If it was traumatic enough to follow him for twenty years, then how is reliving that nightmare going help him get past it?"

"I did not say that it would be easy Colonel."

"It's fucking impossible!"

"Well I'm sorry, but the only way I can think of to break the bond is for Dr. McKay-Sheppard to work through it. He should wake up on his own then. I'm sorry, but that's all I can do," Sonider told him and started back inside to tend to his friend.

"Wait, that's not good enough!" John started to follow him, but Elizabeth held him back.

"John, he is doing everything he can. It is not his fault," she told him gently but firmly.

"Rodney won't know what's going on," John told her, the distress evident in his voice. "He won't know what to do. He'll just be trapped in this nightmare, and won't know why. He hasn't been sleeping well. He's been having nightmares. And I'm guessing now that he's stuck in this one!"

"Colonel, I'm sorry. Truly I am," Carson told him. "We are doing all we can for Rodney. Would you like to see him?" he asked.

John didn't need to be asked twice. He walked past them all and made a bee-line for Rodney's bed, where he was hooked up to half a dozen different tubes and monitors. One nurse tried to stop him, but Carson shook his head at her, and she let John past. He sat down on a chair beside the bed and held onto Rodney's hand.

"Hey Babe," he said. "You gotta wake up. You're causing me grey hairs, and that's just not acceptable. You know how much I love my hair," he joked, but there was no response from Rodney or any of his monitors. John's heart sunk a little further. It had been a foolish hope that he would respond in any way, but he had hoped anyway. "Listen Rodney," he whispered, scooting closer. "You've gotta wake up. Work through it, whatever you need to do, but… I need you here, so come back to me, ok?"

Again, there was no response. Over the next few hours, they tried, but Rodney didn't respond to Teyla, or Elizabeth, or Ford or Carson either. Carson couldn't even say for definite if Rodney could hear them. After a while, John stopped talking and just rested his head on his arms. He was tired; probably because of the telepathic energy that Mendesa was exhibiting, but he couldn't sleep.

Rodney looked so pale and still just lying there on the bed, it was unnatural, and for the first time in a long time, John felt tears prick at his eyes.

The other end of the infirmary had quietened down also. There were no longer half a dozen Thesarians hanging around the bed and waiting room, and there was only one doctor left monitoring the patient. John watched as one of Becket's nurses walked past the bed on her way to the supply closet, and stumble suddenly, putting her hand on the bed to steady herself.. The Thesarian doctor, Lokin, jumped up and rushed over to her.

"Be careful," he told her, not unkindly. "The telepathic energy is strongest here, and you probably feel very sleepy." The nurse nodded. ""Have a care," Lokin said. "Do not touch Dr. Mendesa. It is quite possible that you could be pulled into the coma also if you did. His mind is quite powerful, even in this state."

The nurse edged her way around the bed, careful not to touch any part of it, and John had to laugh a little. She looked so scared, as if being inside Rodney's mind was a bad thing. Well, it would be sometimes, especially when they are running short of coffee, but…

Wait… Be pulled into the coma with them? Be pulled into Rodney's mind? That… that was a possibility. One of the things that upset John the most was that Rodney didn't know what was going on, and therefore couldn't help himself. If he could somehow talk to Rodney…

John was no fool. He knew it was a risk to do what he was thinking. He could be put into a coma and die with the other two if he couldn't help Rodney. But, there was no life for him without his husband. He knew that he would never be happy without him. Besides, Rodney would do it for him, without a moment's hesitation.

John put his head back down into the pillow of his arms, but he kept one open. He watched for the next hour as the Dr. Lokin took readings and tried to help Mendesa. Finally, he looked around at the quiet infirmary. He saw John apparently sleeping beside Rodney. The nurses that regularly checked on Rodney were not there at the moment. The infirmary was very quiet, and he needed a break.

"Sonider," he spoke into his com link.

"Yes Lokin?" Sonider answered.

"I am going to the mess hall to take a break. I need some food and a drink," Lokin replied.

"Very well," Sonider replied. "I am sending down another Doctor to look after Mendesa."

"Shall I wait for him?" Lokin asked. "The infirmary is quiet. Colonel Sheppard-McKay is asleep and there are no Atlantean medical personnel around.

"The replacement will be there shortly," Sonider told him. "You may leave if you wish."

"Thank you Sir," Lokin replied, cutting off the com link. He checked Dr. Mendesa once more, and saw no change. Sighing, he cast another look around the infirmary, and saw nothing had changed. He wrote something on the chart on the end of Mendesa's bed and left.

As soon as he was out the door, John sprang up. He had been ready to push him out of the door before the end! John quickly made his way down to Dr. Mendesa's bed, and without hesitation leaned down and took Mendesa's hand in his own.

For a moment nothing happened. Then, his head began to swim and his knees gave out. He sank to the ground, dizziness overcoming him.

He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

And I think I'm going to leave it there. Mean, aren't I? I hope it wasn't too confusing as an explanation. I'll update again next week when I come back from my holiday.

But if you _just can't wait_ to read the next chapter, then you can check out my livejournal. The link is on my bio-page. Or, check out McKaySheppard livejournal community or my Wraithbait account.

You know the drill. Review please!

shootingsilverstarlight


	4. The Battle for Rodney McKay

This chapter is rated so high because it deals with the subject of child physical abuse. I know it can be upsetting to people, so you have been warned.

XxXxXxXx

Carson slipped into the infirmary to check on Rodney, silent so as not to awaken the sleeping Colonel. He was surprised therefore when he didn't see John next to Rodney's bed. Perhaps he had gotten something to eat? Carson wasn't sure. In the past, if Rodney was in the infirmary for any reason, then Aiden or Teyla brought John his food, because they knew that nothing short of a crowbar could get him away from the bedside.

He checked Rodney's vitals. No change really, except that he was a little weaker. Carson frowned, worriedly. He was scared for his friend, and he hating not being able to do anything to help him.

Sighing, he turned and was about to go back to his office, when a flash of black caught his eye. He turned, and gasped as he saw John sprawled out onto the floor beside Dr. Mendesa's bed. He ran forward and checked his pulse; it was there, but was slower than usual.

"I need some help in here, NOW!" Carson yelled to his staff in the other rooms. He tried to wake John up, but the man remained unconscious. It was almost as if he was in a co… a sneaking suspicion twisted Carson's gut, and he had a pretty good idea of what John had done and why.

The clatter of many feet announced the arrival of some of his medical staff, along with one of the Thesarian doctors.

"What happened?" Nurse Archer asked.

"I found him unconscious like this," Carson said as John was gently lifted and placed onto the bed next to Rodney.

"What happened?" Elizabeth asked, rushing into the room out of breath. She was closely followed by Aiden and Teyla, both looking equally concerned.

"I found John unconscious," Carson told them as he began checking John's vitals.

"You found him next to Dr. Mendesa?" the Thesarian doctor asked. Carson nodded, and the Thesarian grimaces slightly. "This is not good," he said and clicked his com link.

"Fuda to Sonider, you should come down to the infirmary. We have a problem with Colonel Sheppard-McKay," he said.

"What's happening? Why is he unconscious?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with Dr. Mendesa," Carson said.

"I concur with Dr. Beckett," Fuda said. "From the position he was in when we found him, it seems to me that the Colonel had touched Dr. Mendesa then collapsed."

"But why would that happen?" Aiden asked.

"Your species cannot protect yourself from the telepathic energy that Mendesa's brain is broadcasting. If any of your people come too close, then it is very likely that you will be pulled into the coma with Dr. Mendesa and Dr. McKay-Sheppard."

The rest of the room was quiet as they watched Carson hook up their friend to a series of monitors and screens.

"I'm afraid he's in a coma," Carson told the, stepping away from the bed.

"But why?" Elizabeth asked, her voice shaking. "Why would he even go near Dr. Mendesa?"

"Unless he knew what would happen," Teyla mused and Carson nodded.

"Aye, I think I have to agree with you on that one Teyla. I think John knew what would happen if he touched Dr. Mendesa and did it on purpose. He wanted to help Rodney, and couldn't do it from here."

"But he might not even be pulled into Rodney's dream!" Aiden protested.

"That is a possibility," Fuda told them.

"So, unless John can help Rodney wake up, we lose both of them," Elizabeth stated. It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and Carson put one arm around her to comfort her. He knew how she felt. The two men on the beds in front of them were as close as brothers to him.

Fuda turned to check on Dr. Mendesa's condition and frowned at what he saw.

"Dr. Mendesa's condition had become unstable," he told the room at large. "If the Colonel is going to help his husband, then he had better do something fast."

XxXxXxXxXx

John blinked and opened his eyes. The room around his spun and tilted and he had to grab hold of the wooden staircase next to him to stop himself from falling over.

Wait a minute…

Wooden staircase?

Since when did they have wooden staircases on Atlantis?

John shook his head to clear it, and looked around. He was in the hallway of what looked to be a fairly big house. The carpet beneath his feet was soft and thick, and the whole area had a sense of being well kept. A little too well kept for John's taste though. It didn't exactly give the impression of being the most welcoming of places. He peeked into the living room. It reminded him of his aunt's house, which she kept clean to the point of obsessive neatness. But that had been because her husband had been a domineering tyrant and he used to beat her if she…

A cold feeling settled in John's stomach. He'd been hearing noises in the background for a few minutes and now that he concentrated, he could distinguish them as voices.

A shrill "Stop it Malcolm, you'll kill him!" shook him from his daze and he ran to the door on the other side of the room. He opened it just in time to see a tall, muscled man throw a kid against the wall.

"Hey, stop that!" John yelled, but the man ignored him. John ran at him and leapt on him to try to stop him, but instead of hitting the man, John fell right through him. He landed hard on the ground, and looked up in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. It was as if the man was a ghost, or he himself was.

John looked over at the kid that the man was beating on. He looked to be no older than sixteen and bile rose in John's throat when he recognised the boy.

Rodney.

The boy… Rodney… he collapsed against the wall and slid down it, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. The world around him shifted and faded to black, and John was scared that Rodney was dead. Then, everything shifted again, and he found himself back in the hallway. Without hesitation, he went straight to the dining room.

It was a quiet domestic scene. Sixteen year old Rodney was sitting at the dining room table next to a pile of books. He was writing furiously on a notepad. A woman that John guessed was Rodney's mother was sitting next to a girl, talking to her. The girl, obviously Jeannie, looked no older than twelve.

"But Mom," Jeannie was saying, "What will Dad say?"

"Well Sweetheart," her mother began, "He can't really be mad at you. You were out sick for two weeks. He knows that."

"Of course he knows that," Rodney smirked, "He bitched about it often enough."

"Rodney," his mother admonished, but Rodney smiled at Jeannie.

"Come on, he wont be pissed at you. He's still too mad at me for being gay for this to even register on his radar," Rodney joked.

Jeannie smiled a little at Rodney, but froze when the front door opened and slammed shut.

"Malcolm," Rodney's mother fluttered, standing nervously.

"Trish," Malcolm nodded curtly. "Bring me something to eat. And bring me the mail while you are at it."

Trish nodded and Jeannie gulped. John could see the fear in her eyes, a fear totally at odds to the strong woman he knew. He tried talking to her, to calm her down, but she couldn't hear or see him. None of them could.

"What's this?" Malcolm snapped, holding up a letter.

"It's my school report," Jeannie said nervously. Rodney put down his pen, and glared at his father.

"I know that," Malcolm snapped, coming to stand next to her. "I was asking what this funny little number next to your subjects was."

"Th… Th… That's a B- Dad."

"And what's this one?" Malcolm asked, his voice taking on a menacing tone.

"It's a C," Jeannie said. Her eyes were huge with fear now, and John felt his heart squeeze.

"C?" Malcolm asked, dangerously quiet. Suddenly, he lashed out. "A C?" He hit Jeanie across the face, and she fell off her chair, crying out. Before anyone could react, he kicked her in the stomach.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Rodney yelled, jumping up from the table and running for his dad. Trish pulled Jeannie away from her father and over under the window. Jeannie was crying in pain, holding her head and Trish was trying to sooth her.

Across the room, father and son faced each other.

"So, you've finally grown a bit of a spine then," Malcolm sneered.

"Leave her alone," Rodney snarled at his father. "She was out sick for two weeks. Of course she's going to be a bit behind. But Jeannie is smart. She'll catch up," he ground out.

"That's just unacceptable," Malcolm told him. "You know the consequences of failure. I will not have idiots for children!"

"What? Afraid to see in us what we see I you?" Rodney asked. His father's lip twisted cruelly and he lashed out, punching Rodney in the side and slamming his elbow against Rodney's head. The boy staggered in place, but held his ground.

For some reason, this seemed to enrage Malcolm even more,

Rodney stared up at his father, waiting for the next blow to fall. It came, and was harder than he had expected. He stumbled against the wall, his ears ringing from the force of the strike.

Rodney could see his mother on the floor by the window, cradling his younger sister, and screaming on the top of her lungs

"Stop it Malcolm! You'll kill him!"

The only reply she got was a grunted "Good."

Rodney stood shakily again, facing the tyrant that was his father. Malcolm towered above his sixteen year old son, his face dark with rage.

"You dare stand up to me? To back-talk ME?" he roared. He balled up his fist, and punched Rodney in the ribs, causing the boy to double over in pain, and crumple to the ground weakly.

"You're worthless, you know that? For all you abilities, your 'intelligence', you still can't defend yourself. You're no son of mine!"

"I wish!" Rodney yelled, finding strength where he had none before. "I wish I wasn't your son!"

It turned out to be a mistake. Malcolm McKay seemed to grow five inches taller as he stared down at his horrified son.

Had he really just said that to his father? Rodney couldn't believe he had. He was going to be in serious trouble.

Malcolm was inarticulate with rage. The boy dare…, he dared to yell at him? Imply he wasn't good enough to be his father?

Rodney was still doubled over from the blow he was sure had cracked a few ribs. Malcolm grabbed his shoulders and slammed his knee into Rodney's gut. Rodney gasped in pain, and was certain that this time, his father had broken something. Malcolm hauled his son up, and slammed him against the wall.

Rodney's head snapped back, and crashed into the wall with tremendous force. Everything got fuzzy as his legs collapsed and he slid into a sitting position, unknowingly leaving a blood trail down the wall as he faded in and out of consciousness.

Tears ran down John's cheeks as he watched the scene unfold before him. He couldn't believe it. No wonder Rodney never spoke about his past. And if he was trapped here, living this over and over… John had to find him, and fast.

Everything went black again and John found himself once more in the hallway. What was he going to do? He couldn't talk to any of these people. They didn't hear him. He was going to have to find Rodney. His Rodney. Not the younger version that went through so much to defend his little sister.

He went into the dining room again, and tried to ignore the scene playing out in front of him. Instead, he looked in all the corners and spaces that he hadn't before. And there, huddled under a corner table, was Rodney.

His Rodney. He was sitting with one arm wrapped around his knees which were pressed to his chest, and the other arm protected his head. In the rest of the room, Malcolm was beginning to lay into Jeannie, and Rodney visibly flinched every time the sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out. John gulped. Oh God. His poor Rodney.

He knelt down beside him, and tentatively reached out a hand.

"Baby?" he said, his voice shaking. Rodney flinched away from his touch, but John persisted. He placed a soothing hand on his husbands shoulder. "Rodney. It's John. I'm here, Baby. It's me."

Rodney raised his head, and looked at John through dull, red-rimmed eyes.

"J… John?" he asked, hopefully. John's heart broke at how defeated Rodney sounded.

"Yes. It's me," he told him, sitting next to him and putting an arm around his shoulders. "I'm here, and I'm not leaving you."

"You're a dream, but I don't care!" Rodney exclaimed, burying his face into the crook of John's neck. "It's wont stop. I don't know what's happening, I can't stop it!"

"Ssh, it's ok," John whispered into Rodney's hair. "I'm not a dream. I'm really here. And we can stop it together, ok?"

"Ok," Rodney whispered shakily. "You're really here?" he asked again, and John smiled here.

"Yes McKay, I am. Now, let's work on not being here, ok?" Around them, everything went black, but John held onto Rodney and Rodney pressed into John side and John was happy to see that he hadn't moved when everything came back into focus.

"Ok, what's happening?" Rodney asked, and John was delighted to see a spark return to Rodney's baby-blue's.

"Dr. Mendesa is in a coma and dying. Because you were close to him, and had a troubled childhood, you were pulled into the coma with him."

"And what are you doing here?"

"I… I couldn't stand not being able to help you, so I touched Dr. Mendesa. I was knocked unconscious when I did, and I was brought into the coma too."

"You did this on purpose?" Rodney asked.

"I did."

"Ok, I have more questions, but that can wait," Rodney said, and John had to smile.

"So, how do we get out of here?" Rodney asked, sitting up a little straighter. John winced slightly.

"I'm not sure yet," John said. He rubbed Rodney's back in soothing circles and his husband relaxed against him. He stiffened again when his father stepped into the room. He tried to shrink back into himself, but John held on tight. They both watched in mute horror as the scene played out in front of them. They were powerless to stop it, and both John and Rodney flinched noticeably whenever Malcolm struck one of his children.

John tried to avert his eyes when Malcolm started on YoungRodney, but he couldn't. His gaze followed every blow, every kick, every wince of pain. Every… Wait. Didn't Rodney fall the last time his father hit him like that? He watched, as Rodney withstood a few more blows before finally crumpling to his knees in pain. His father yanked him up and slammed his knee into his stomach and slammed him against the wall. Everything went black again, and John held on to Rodney, thinking furiously.

The scene started over again, and John just held Rodney as he watched him talk with his sister. When Malcolm came in, John carefully disengaged himself from Rodney's arms. Rodney looked at him, his eyes full of hurt and confusion.

"Ssh, just trust me, ok?" John asked. He sat close to Rodney, but wasn't touching him when the attack started. It played out as it had been doing when John had arrived; Rodney stood up to his father, but fell quickly. He didn't withstand as many blows as he had the last time.

The scene around them faded with YoungRodney's consciousness and John moved closer, wrapping his arms around Rodney.

"What was that all about?" Rodney asked.

"An experiment," John told him. "You off all people should understand that." A ghost of a smile crossed Rodney's lips the joke. "I was watching what happened when I was holding you," John said. "And you stood up to your father for longer when I was. The memory changed."

"How can the memory change?" Rodney asked. "It's a memory. It already happened. It can't change. It's fixed."

"Don't ask me how it worked, but it did. It changed. Maybe having me here with you is your way of dealing with it like the Thesarians keep saying you need to do wake up. I don't know. All I know is that when I was holding you, you stood there and didn't fall."

"And this helps us how?" Rodney asked.

"I don't know! Look, just hang on to me. We'll see how that changes things."

Rodney didn't need telling twice. He burrowed into John's side, wrapping his arms around his waist. John tried not to think of how the usually confident man was trembling in his arms. He just hoped he'd get his normal Rodney back once they woke up.

They held on to each other, and once again, the memory altered. Before their eyes, YoungRodney seemed to grow in determination, standing up more quickly and throwing in a few more insults.

"It's changing," Rodney whispered as they scene re-started. They watched as every time the scene shifted, YoungRodney grew stronger and more confident, until finally he was standing toe-to-toe with his father, staring him straight in the eye. John and Rodney both exclaimed in surprise when beside Rodney appeared a spiky haired teenager. His hair was black and his eyes were startling green. John instantly recognised a younger version of himself, and it only took a moment for Rodney to come to the same conclusion.

"What…?"

"How…?"

They had no clue what was going on, but watched as Malcolm raised his fist to swing at YoungRodney. YoungJohn instantly stepped in, blocking the swing and forcing Malcolm backwards. Time and again, YoungJohn defended YoungRodney, until with a bellow of rage, Malcolm ran towards them. YoungJohn stepped in front of YoungRodney and Malcolm vanished before he reached them. Silence reigned for a moment before the scene shifted once more.

This time, John and Rodney found themselves sitting in a large room, like waiting area. Couches ran along one wall and a desk was situated in the centre of the room. Several funky-looking computers sat on the desk top, the chair swung idly in an invisible breeze.

"Where is this?" John asked.

"I haven't a clue," Rodney told him, standing but keeping hold of John as much as he could. "It's no where I've ever been."

"This is from my memory," a voice said from behind them. They turned to see Dr. Mendesa standing in the doorway. "This is my office back on my homeworld. It is one of my favourite places. I come here to think and to relax as well as work."

"Why are we here?" John asked.

"To say goodbye," Mendesa told them. "You will both wake up shortly. However, I will not. It is my time to go, but I do not fear death. By beloved Arcid is waiting for me beyond this life. We had two hundred wonderful years together before she slipped away from me ten years ago. I'm going to her. I just wanted to apologise before I do. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"We understand, and don't hold you responsible," Rodney told him, and John was amazed at his tact. He'd have to have a word with Elizabeth about sending Rodney on a diplomatic mission or two… Well, he probably wouldn't, but it would be fun to tease Rodney about if for years to come.

Relief flooded Mendesa's features at Rodney's words.

"I thank you," he told them, bowing slightly, "goodbye, my friends. Please, say goodbye to the rest of my people for me," he asked before the entire room around them faded.

And with identical sudden intakes of air, John and Rodney opened their eyes.

XxXxXxXx

Ok, epilogue coming up. It will probably be sappy, I warn you. I just love a happy ending.


End file.
